The present invention relates a processing unit for providing aircraft information to passengers of an aircraft, to a system comprising the processing unit, to an aircraft comprising the system, to a corresponding method for providing aircraft information to passengers of an aircraft, as well as to a computer program for performing the method.
In modern aircraft, entertainment systems for providing in-flight entertainment to passengers of the aircraft are becoming increasingly important. These entertainment systems, which are normally referred to as In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) systems, provide entertainment to aircraft passengers during a flight. Modern IFE systems provide different types of multimedia content, e.g., audio content and video content, to enhance the passenger experience. For this purpose, IFE systems generally comprise one or more servers, from which the different content like video content (e.g., movies, TV shows, video clips and the like), audio content, games, moving-map content and the like, can be accessed and retrieved on demand by the passengers. The demanded content is then typically provided to the passenger on different output devices, e.g. on cabin overhead video monitors, personal in-seat video monitors, headphones and similar output devices. Currently, modern IFE systems may incorporate video feeds from external camera sources in order to provide passengers with external aircraft views on the cabin overhead video monitors or on the personal in-seat video monitors.
In recent years, not only airport, but also on-board security has increased dramatically. For example, passengers are no longer allowed to visit the cockpit during flight. Many people, however, are fascinated by flight and the process of flying and they increasingly removed from the magic of the process. By way of existing IFE systems, it is intended to give the seated passenger all the electronic, communication and infotainment amenities that he/she has available on the ground, at home or at the office. However, being in the air itself is an unusual environment and one that is fascinating in ways that the home and office cannot be. Currently, there are DVDs available for purchase that show cockpit views and audio of whole flights, e.g., from Hamburg to la Palma. These serve to show the fascination and interest in flight from a cockpit perspective. However, there is an increasing demand to bring the fascination of flight to the seated passengers themselves during flight in a realistic manner.